With the increasing school and living expenses, families look at trimming down food costs. Here are some ways to lower food expenses without sacrificing good nutrition. Remember, expensive food does not always mean healthy food.
Do your marketing once a week. This saves time and effort and helps curtail impulse buying.
Make a list of basic foodstuffs to be bought and stick to it.
Stretch your budget by including cereals, potatoes and pastas in your weekly menu. They're not only filling but tasty as well.
Buying chicken? The cut-ups are a bit more expensive. Whole chickens are cheaper.
Buy smaller-size canned items. They are less expensive and have lesser risk of spoilage. This applies to spices as well. Buy spices in sachets or small packs.
Compare prices. Prices of certain foodstuffs vary considerably from one supermarket to another.
Learn to use variety in meats or cuts in your dishes (e.g., offal and tendons). They're inexpensive than the more popular cuts but taste much better. The secret to cooking them? Cook them slowly or braise them.
Fresh fish is always best. However, if you are economizing, try doing your marketing at night as the vendors lower their prices by then.
Be creative in the kitchen by using leftovers. Filipinos have in fact raised this to an art by coming up with literally "old clothes."
Use your old bread by making them into croutons (for soups) and biscocho (perfect for merienda).
Use tuna instead of meat in some recipes. It tastes good and costs much less.
